This invention relates to a device for releasably binding a user's heel to various sporting boards, including, but not limited to, skiboards and windsurfing boards. The device provides beginning users greater confidence in the use of sporting boards, and provides advanced users with increased ability and safety in performing stunts with sporting boards. One embodiment of the invention is designed to be easily retrofitted onto existing sporting boards.
Foot straps for retaining a user's feet on a sporting board are known. However, foot straps alone are not sufficient for certain sporting board activities, especially with the development of high performance sporting boards, including high performance skiboards designed to be pulled by motorboats and designed to permit a wider range of stunts than traditional water skis. Thus, the need arose for a stretchable and releasable heel-binding device. Stretchability was necessary in order to comfortably retain a user's bare foot and to absorb the stresses of skiboarding. Releasability was necessary in order to prevent injury to a skiboard user from the skiboard during a headfirst fall, the most common type of fall for a skiboarder. Ease of adjustment was necessary in order to adjust to the different sizes of different users' feet. Further, any heel retaining device needed to be able to function reliably in a salt water environment.
Although many heel retaining devices are known, none provides the combination of properties necessary for use with skiboards or other sporting boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,655 to Katz discloses a plastic heel strap having two portions joined together by nuts and bolts set through holes in each portion of the plastic strap to permit proper adjustment. This strap does not provide stretchability, releasability or ease of adjustment to the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,153,809 to Meis discloses a non-stretchable heel strap having two portions joined together with a traditional buckle-and-hole system for proper adjustment. This strap was designed specifically for use with a ski binder for snow skis, and does not provide stretchability or releasability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,462 to Buel discloses a strap made of gum rubber attached to a plate which is laced to the top of a ski boot. The strap forms a loop attached to the top of the boot. A ski is provided with a fixed heel locating member over which the loop is also engaged. The engaged loop pulls backward on the heel of the ski boot, retaining the boot on the ski. This device, while stretchable, does not pull forward on the ski boot, requires a shoe with laces for attachment, requires a separate plate for attachment and requires a separate heel locating member attached to the ski.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,905 to Mardus discloses a heel strap attached to a foot strap attached to a water shoe. This heel strap does not appear to be either stretchable or releasable and in fact, from the drawings, appears to be made of metal.
None of these references discloses the required degree of stretchability, ease of adjustment, automatic release in case of a headfirst fall, and situational release in other types of falls needed for skiboard use. Katz, Meis and Buel relate to retaining a shoe or boot, not a person's heel. Mardus does not disclose a stretchable heel strap.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a comfortable heel-binding device which pulls a user's foot forward under a foot strap to securely bind the user's foot to a sporting board, thereby providing the user with increased confidence and ability to perform an increased number of stunts.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a heel-binding device which can be easily adjusted to the user's foot for proper fit.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a heel-binding device with the ability to cushion the user's foot against acceleration and deceleration of the sporting board without discomfort or injury and without undesirably releasing the foot from the sporting board.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a heel-binding device with the ability to automatically release the user's foot in the event of an accident in which the user is pulled headfirst over the top of the skiboard in order to prevent injury to the user from the skiboard.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide the capability of releasing in any fall in which excessive stress is applied in order to reduce the risk of injury to the user.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a heel-binding device that can withstand the salt water environment and severe physical stresses imposed by the sport of skiboarding and other water sports in which a user moves at high speeds across salt water.